Strength
by AkashaAvani
Summary: A month after the ending and Mitsuru is back to his usual self, running away and making Mahiru cry. What happens when he takes it too far and pushes Mahiru away? How will Dawn's Venus use this fight to their gain? What price will Mahiru and Mitsuru pay?


**_A/N: _**_Just something that popped into my head for absolutely NO reason, but I wanted to share it with you! Hope the angst/fluff satisfies! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: The usual! I own nothing save my stash of chocolate. All characters and such belong to...Haruko Iida, if I'm getting that right?, who's the creater of Crescent Moon, and whoever else publishes it. :D_

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After everything that had happened, Mahiru had assumed that they would be together. She thought that he loved her just as much as she loved him—that was the reason he picked on her so much, right? Boys likes girl, boy picks on girl, then later admits to liking her. And... she had made some progress... right after everything had ended... but now he was avoiding her. He _had_ been avoiding her for a month now. Ever since everyone burst onto the roof and interrupted them when she asked him to sing.

Had she just been imagining things? Because he hadn't been mad at her, or said anything mean, but neither had he said anything _else_, either. When she had tried to talk to him, he had mumbled and run away. And when she tried to get in his path, he went the other way and escaped any way he could.

Well, she'd had enough of playing his game. She wanted to _talk_ to him, dammit! Was that such a horrible thing?

"Misturu, can we just talk? Please?"

"Listen, I'm busy. I don't have time to—"

"I know, I know. You don't have time, you're busy, you have things to do and a job to do and things to take care of, I _get_ it. Did... did I do something wrong?"

"Listen, _Princess_, not everything is about you, you know!"

"That's not what I meant—Mitsuru," she said as he walked away. She grabbed his sleeve. "I just want to talk. You've been avoiding me—"

"What?" He squaked, offended.

"s—for the past _month_, Mitsuru! I just want to _talk_!"

"Well maybe I don't want to talk to _you_, can you get that through your thick head? All you do is follow me around and bug me when I'm trying to work. I don't want to talk, and I don't want to talk to _you_."

Mahiru worked hard at pushing his angry words aside and keeping calm. "Then what about after we got back from the Moon Palace?"

"What about it?"

She bit her lip, and strummed up the courage she needed to say _exactly_ how she felt. "I thought you felt the way I did. I love you, Mitsuru! Don't you get it? When I asked you to sing for me, I called you 'my love.' I've _never_ said anything like that to anyone, so why can't you see what I'm trying to tell you? Why are you pushing me away when I thought you'd finally stopped running?"

Mitsuru narrowed his eyes and stepped close to her. "You think I'm running? Well guess what, I'm not. I'm not running, I'm trying to get you _off_ of me like some crazy psycho who doesn't get it when they're not wanted. I don't want your love, I don't want to—what did you expect? That I'd suddenly be cheerful and happy that a _human_ loves me? Well, guess what—I don't love you, I don't want _your_ love, and I _don't._ want. to. talk. to. you. So _leave me alone, _you stupid girl!"

Mahiru stood stalk still, tears welling up, as he turned and walked away. He didn't want her love? He didn't love her? Well, fine. She was done waiting for him to open up! She didn't want to be told those hateful words anymore, like she was nothing, like she was _less _than nothing! Wiping at her cheeks numbly, she walked out the back door, ignoring Akira's shout as she closed it behind her.

She had no thought about where she was going, no place she wanted to go. It was just _away, away, away_. She would move her things tomorrow. She'd go back to her auntie's and _stay_ where she was wanted.

She had no idea just how 'wanted' she was.

"You idiot! You stupid, stupid, boy!" The shout caught everyone's attention, and the rest of the group followed the noise quickly to find Akira standing over Mitsuru, whose lip was split and bleeding. "Why do you always make her cry? You think she isn't already insecure? You think she doesn't already feel like she's second place cause she can't change form or have any controllable powers? You moron! All you ever do is make her feel worthless and stupid and make her cry! Why? Tell me why, you bastard!" Akira would have picked the Tengu up and thrown him across the room if Nozomu hadn't wrapped his arms under the werewolf's, holding him back.

"Stop it! This isn't going to help, whatever it is. What happened?"

"I think that's clear enough," Misoka said dryly. "The idiot decided to be his usual self and be mean to Mahiru. Speaking of which, she's not in her room. Where'd she go?"

"She left! And I don't think she's coming _back_ this time because of this moron! Do you like seeing her cry? Do you like being the one who can twist her heart around? Cause you outdid yourself this time!"

"Shut up!" Nozomu startled everyone by raising his voice so much. "She left?"

"Yeah, she walked right out the door!"

The vampire and the fox demon looked at each other. "Not good."

"What do you mean?" For the first time in this conversation, Mitsuru spoke up.

"Dawn's Venus has been watching the place for a while."

Cold washed through the Tengu now. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Misoka shrugged. "We did. Hence the _lay low for a while, guys, the place is being watched_."

Mitsuru was out the door in a heartbeat, followed by everyone else. Shit! Shitshitshit! Why hadn't he thought of this? And now that his brain was going, it was determined to replay every little part of what he'd said to Mahiru, lingering especially on the split second just before he'd turned, when she'd looked so heartbroken and devestated. Fuck! He was the first one to admit that he wasn't exactly the nicest to her, he never had been. She got under his skin, made his heart hurt with one look at her, one look at him _from_ her. She made him feel things he didn't want to, so he lashed out, tried to drive her away.

But this... he'd really screwed up this time. She'd said she loved him, and he'd shoved it back in her face. He yelled as his powers overwhelmed him, triggered by his emotions, and instantly he was flying over the city, searching desperately for a sign of her. Had they already gotten to her? Shit, what if they'd already taken her? What was happening? Fuck, he hated not knowing! He hated not being able to see her, to watch the way she worked with people in the restaurant, watch her laugh with Akira or try to get Misoka to smile—smiled at him. It was something he waited for each night. That moment when she would turn and catch his eye and smile. Sometimes she tried to tell a joke to get him to smile, sometimes she threatened to sing until he gave in and smiled for mercy, but she would always, _always, _smile at him specifically. Fuck, he'd screwed up so bad.

And he might not get the chance to tell her he was sorry.

Dread filled him, turned him cold, and he sped up, increasing his search. Something caught his eye, and he turned to see a lake gleaming up at him. Remembering her knack with water, he plummeted towards the surface, pulling up only when he was just about to touch the lake. He stayed there for a moment the winds picking up to keep him aloft and in place above the water, while his head whipped back and forth, searching for a sign of her. Once again, the corner of his eyes picked up a bit of her uniform, and he whipped his head up so that he could see the rest of her. Instead of being _in _the water, she was just beside it, feet dipping in. She was shaking, both from cold and from tears, it was obvious, and the sound caught at his heart. Didn't she get tired of crying because of him? What if she decided she was _done_, as in finished trying to get through to him? What if he'd finally succeeded in trying to shove her away? The thought sent a shiver through him—he'd hate it. It had taken him until now to realize how much he needed her smile, her laugh, the way she tried to talk to him, and now that it was about to go away for good, he realized he loved her.

Fuck, he was so messed up.

"Mahiru," he said, and lowered into the water in front of her. It was shallow, maybe a foot deep, and when he knelt down in front of her, her head snapped up.

"Go _away_, Mitsuru," she said, and the ragged voice and tear-stained cheeks tore at him.

"Mahiru, please, listen, I need to tell you—"

"So _now_ you want to talk? I told you I loved you, you jerk, and you told me to get lost. Well, I'm _done!_ I don't deserve to be hated, I haven't done anything to make you hate me, but all you can do is be mean to me and break me down. Well, I'm _done_ trying to love you! I don't want this anymore!" She covered her face and sobbed, and Mitsuru shut his eyes tight. He deserved this. He was careless, and spiteful, and a coward, and she deserved more than loving a monster.

"I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve this, but if you'll just hear me out, I'll be quick and take you back—"

"I don't want to go back! I don't want to listen to you anymore! Didn't you listen to a word I said? I'm _done_, Mitsuru. With you, with the lunar race—"

"I'm glad to hear that."

The voice startled them both, and Mitsuru stood abruptly, snarling. "_You_!"

The human male in front of him smiled darkly. "You thought we would just lie down after one defeat? Hardly." He turned his gaze to Mahiru, where her watery eyes were wide with fright and horror. "I should thank you, girl, for bringing them right to us." Mahiru looked around, and for the first time noticed that the others had arrived around them. Akira looked downright feral, while the others weren't any less frightening.

"You haven't learned your lesson, I take it. We're not hear to enslave you, or endanger you. We're just trying to save our _own_ people." Nozomu's voice was cold.

"That doesn't matter. You're a threat to the human race just by _existing_." A motion from his hand was all it took for people to come out of the surroundings, all holding bows with the arrows inscribed with power words. The others shared a look, clearly expecting this worst, and Mitsuru tensed. One arrow would be all it took for Mahiru... his temper snapped just as the arrows let loose. The winds picked up furiously, creating a cocoon around them and sending the arrows flying back at them.

But Mahiru watched as the shaman cast some sort of... barrier... and a doorway opened in a spot of the whirlwinds. Just beside him was the bowman they had met the first time, and he had an arrow knocked straight at Mitsuru. With the winds so powerful, the shaman couldn't keep the door open for long, and the marksman had to let it fly quickly, but he had to take a moment to aim.

A moment just long enough for Mahiru to scream. She didn't remember moving, just calling out for Mitsuru to watch out.

And then it was over. With a giant gust of wind, the enemy was hurtled back and pinned to objects, the force of the wind sucking the air out of their lungs. They collapsed, already dead before the wind stopped.

"Mahiru!"

Mitsuru scrambled over, the power leaving him in a rush, and he shrank back into normal form so that the arrow protruding from the Princess's shoulder no longer seemed so small. "No!" This was an arrow filled with power stolen from the Lunar Race, used against a human. And while a human-Lunar hybrid would be hurt, but safe, only one side of either bloodline... She wouldn't be able to survive this. "No, Mahiru, no!" He cried, hovering over her. "You idiot, why did you do this?"

"Because... I—I love you... Mitsuru, I love you... you can't die." She smiled a little, but it was horrible, and blood speckled at the corner of her mouth.

He bent his head over her, choking on his tears. "Better me than you. Mahiru, you can't go. I haven't told you how sorry I am, how much of an idiot I was." The others watched on with tears in their eyes, circling the prone form of the princess and her demon as he watched his love dying.

"I didn't mean any of it. I never do. Mahiru, you're the best thing that's happened to me. Your smile—I wait every night for your smile. I watch you laugh, and I hate that I make you cry. I was so scared that if I let you love me, if I let myself love you... I didn't know what to do. It terrifies me how much I love you. You're all I ever think about, I dream about you. When I make you cry, I _hate_ it, I just want to hold you close and wipe away your tears, so you can't die. _You can't die because I love you! _And if you die you'll go away and leave me alone. Please, Mahiru, please don't go away." He was openly sobbing now, cradling her head in his lap. "You have to stay and let me fix things. Please, _please_!"

Mahiru was crying now as well, tears hitching out of her and flowing down the sides of her face. She smiled, though, and raised her arm, the one free of the arrow, to wipe his tears away. "I'm... I'm happy, Mitsuru. I'm happy that you love me. And—" her breath hitched and for a moment, pain spread across her features before she smoothed them out again, "and I'm happy that I got to feel your love."

He cradled her hand to his face, and turned to press a kiss into it. "I don't want to lose you now."

She shook her head. "I'll be waiting, Mitsuru. Don't be sad."

He shook his head frantically. "You can't go, Mahiru. Please, tell me what to do to make this okay again! You can't go now that I finally told you! This isn't how it's supposed to end!"

"What if there was a way to save her?" Misoka, shrinking down, down, down to 'human' form, put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him steadily.

"What?" he looked up, hope starting to rise.

"What if there was a way to save her from this? What would you do to save her?"

"Anything!"

"Would you give up your strength?"

Mitsuru winced. His... strength? All he'd ever wanted was to get stronger...

"No, Mitsuru, don't. You need your strength. It's your dream to be so strong someday. Don't give that up." He looked down at her, going still. She was telling him to keep his strength, and let her die. And in that moment, he knew what his decision would be.

"How do I give it to her?" He looked at Misoka now, determined.

"She saved your life with a teardrop. With all of its power, you were able to come back to life with both your human form and Lunar form intact. Give her your Lunar form, your strength."

"How did I do this?"

"No, Mitsuru, don't—"

"Shut up." He turned his gaze back to her and pinned her with the most intense look he'd ever had. "_I won't let you die_."

Misoka's lips twitched proudly. "Good. When I pull the arrow out, kiss her, and give the Lunar half of your soul to her."

"How will I know when it's there?"

Misoka's eyes turned grave again. "She'll breathe again." Silence met his words. "When I pull this out, she will die. When you give your strength to her, she'll live. Don't hesitate, though, or we will fail. She'll die, Mitsuru."

He nodded, and looked down to Mahiru, whose eyes were drowning with tears now. "I'll bring you back," he whispered, and kissed her once for good luck. When he looked back up, Misoka nodded.

"Now."

This time, the kiss wasn't chaste or quick. He put everything—his hopes, dreams, feelings, all his love for her, his plans for them that were unfolding in front of him now, his guilt, his sadness, his determination to keep her by his side, _forever—_into his kiss. And when she stopped breathing, when she went still, he cried, feeling the loss of her soul-deep, and then he pressed harder, stronger, willing his strength into her because she _was_ his strength. And he felt his Tengu, the demon of winds and lightning and unbelievable power, reach for her, become a part of her, and she gasped beneath him. The wind picked up, ruffling his hair, and seemed to caress him for the briefest of moments.

"Mahiru!" he looked down into her eyes, and watched as they changed from her normal color to the dark black of his. Sparks zipped down her body, little shocks that tingled against his skin.

And then a weakness of the likes of which he'd never known washed over him, and he dropped to his hands, fighting to stay upright. He heard his name being called, then warm hands on his face.

"Easy, easy, he's just adjusting. It's... a lot to deal with." Misoka's voice came through the buzzing in his ears, and he struggled to clear his vision.

Mahiru was kneeling in front of him now, her gaze wide and frightened as her eyes searched his. And then it hit him—it'd worked. She was alive. He smiled from ear to ear, and her face lit up with that happy expression he waited for each night. Moving faster than he could have anticipated, _stronger_ than he'd expected, she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, propelling them backwards.

"You—you're strength—why did you—Mitsuru!" She hugged him close, head buried in the crook of his neck, and he wrapped his arms tight around her.

"I love you, Mahiru. And when I thought you were going to... die... Mahiru, I can't stand the thought of you not being there. I couldn't live without seeing you smile. I didn't give up my strength because you _are_ my strength, Mahiru. Don't cry, please. I hate seeing you cry. I _really_ hate it when you cry because of _me_."

"Well, deal with it for right now," came the muffled response, and everyone laughed.

Akira came forward with a coat and draped it over the pair. "Come on, you two. Let's go home."

That night Mahiru and Mitsuru curled up together on his bed, each lost in the sensation of falling asleep with hands clasped tightly, palms fused together, and their words, _I love you,_ to each other echoing in their ears.

And for once, both fell asleep with smiles still lingering on their faces.


End file.
